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Steve Ballmer can't hear your 'Save XP' pleas |
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Written by Daniel
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
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Microsoft CEO indicates that customers aren't really seeking to keep Windows XP past June 30, despite 170,000-plus signatures. It's time to turn up the volume and make it personal with video pleas.
By Eric Knorr, InfoWorld
April 28, 2008 Ballmer said the company might reconsider its decision to stop selling Windows XP on June 30. An Associated Press report quoted him as saying: "If customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter."
This news broke after InfoWorld spent four months of campaigning for a stay of execution for XP, and we were elated. Microsoft was finally listening to the outcry over the unnecessarily disruptive effects of customers being pushed to upgrade to Vista. Victory was at hand.
Our joy lasted only a couple of hours. According to a subsequent report from Reuters, the second half of Ballmer's quote was: " ... but right now, we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments." A Microsoft spokesperson later confirmed that (aside from already existing exceptions), the June 30 end-of-sale date was not going anywhere.
[ Learn more about the latest moves in the campaign to Save Windows XP. | Learn howDell will keep XP available past June 30. ]
Apparently, the 170,000-plus signatures collected for our Save XP campaign are not enough "customer feedback" to matter. The company says it's aware of InfoWorld's Save XP campaign, but we have been rebuffed in our attempts to deliver the petition -- so much for listening to customers. Microsoft is content to ignore 170,000. But can it ignore 1 million? How about 10 million? With just two months to go before XP goes off the market, it's time to turn up the volume and get everyone you know to sign the petition. [InfoWorld...] [Comments...] |
